LSU Football Enters Rare Territory With This Major Position Group Under Lane Kiffin

Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers coaching staff continues navigating a pivotal offseason for the program in Baton Rouge after reconstructing the roster from the ground up.

Once Kiffin arrived in the Bayou State, expectations rose dramatically with the program under new leadership heding into the 2026 season.

“This place is built for championships with championship expectations. We understand that, but as an elite competitor, that’s exactly what you want, and that’s why we’re here,” Kiffin said at his introductory press conference.

"I know that we have, with the passion of LSU family and our LSU players, that we have everything to bring championship football back to LSU.

“It’s time for LSU to take its place back as the best program in all of college football. … I’m uniquely prepared at 50 years old for this job to have been so many places, done good things, made a lot of mistakes and made them really early on.”

But there was work that needed to be done where it started with retooling the quarterback room in Baton Rouge after losing all three scholarship signal-callers from the 2025 season.

LSU Tigers Football. — Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) scrambles out of the pocket against TCU during a game at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Sept. 26, 2025. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kiffin was tasked with stacking newcomers to the quarterback room where he was left with zero signal-callers to work with heading into January.

Fast forward to the middle of last month and the LSU Tigers coaching staff pulled off a monumental feat after securing three Top-100 quarterbacks in the Transfer Portal - including Sam Leavitt, the No. 1 overall player in the market, and Husan Longstreet, a Top-10 signal-caller.

LSU flaunts an embarrassment of riches under center with multiple outlets believing the program now has arguably the No. 1 quarterback room in America. What did CBS Sports have to say?

"Lane Kiffin went all out to secure the No. 1 transfer portal prospect in former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt," CBS Sports wrote. "But his ambition didn't stop there, soon landing another prized talent in USC transfer Husan Longstreet to bolt-strengthen the LSU quarterback room.

"While Leavitt projects to be the starter in Week 1, Longstreet gives the Tigers a ready-to-play option as a backup and high-upside piece for the future as a former five-star recruit.

"Leavitt arrives in Baton Rouge after a productive two-year stint at Arizona State, throwing for 4,652 yards and 36 touchdowns with 11 interceptions, while adding 816 yards and 10 scores on the ground. He posted a 16-4 record that includes a Big 12 Championship and a CFP appearance in 2024."

CBS Sports has the Oregon Ducks, LSU Tigers, Houston Cougars, and Texas Longhorns, among others, as programs with the top quarterback rooms.

Leavitt and Longstreet are the headliners, but Elon quarterback Landen Clark is also a name to monitor after signing with LSU while having multiple seasons of eligibility in his back pocket.

Now, all eyes are on the signal-callers in Baton Rouge heading into the 2026 season with a redesigned unit headlined by Leavitt as the critical addition.

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